A Successful Semester

I came into poetry class this semester with no expectations. I really had no idea what we would be doing: writing poetry, reading poetry, how the entire realm of poetry was even addressed. At first I found the samplers overwhelming. I would struggle to try to annotate the poems and search for any meaning I could come up with. I even found learning meter to be a little relieving; it was finally something numerical I knew I could understand. But, as the semester went on I began to understand that the purpose of the samplers wasn't to understand and pull meeting out of every single world, but to read over and enjoy whatever responses and feelings I felt, and use them to formulate a general understanding of the themes and techniques of that sampler. As I began to read the samplers in a new light, I found them less overwhelming and more enjoyable. When I stopped hunting for meaning, I actually got more out of the poems.

I learned a great deal semester, a lot of which were different techniques, themes, and devices used by poets and how they evolved over time. But, a lot of what I learned was simply how to enjoy poetry as an art form; to stop over thinking each detail and instead take in the work as whole. Once I was able to take a step back, I could see more clearly the themes and poetic styles we learned about in class, and actually appreciate them. I could also enjoy the readings I went to, and plan on to go to more even once the class ends. I realized that while the tedious history must be studied to understand the language, devices, etc. and may be grueling at times, once you have some knowledge and start to understand it, you can really appreciate and like poetry. I really feel I achieved that this semester, which I know had much to do with my professor, Ray, so thank you for that.

The Possibilities of Contemporary Poetry

The content of contemporary poetry is greatly enabled by the social growth of society. In current times, many more topics and issues are accepted and openly discussed than in the past. Over the years, more and more reform and change has created the opportunity to discuss controversial topics in art and literature. This change can be seen as you trace poetry over the years.

Looking far back to the metaphysical and earlier times, the topics frequently discussed were religion, love (in a more traditional way), and time. They poems seemed to be based on ideas and thoughts about major common themes. Moving farther and farther through history, we see work on more trivial topics, in addition to provocative ones: pretty much anything goes.

A major turning point can be seen in Allen Ginsberg’s poem “Howl.” Topics such as sexuality and drugs are addressed, and the poem was seen as extremely controversial. While barriers were being broken in his time, these topics would now be commonplace in poetry. In the readings I have attended, anything was accepted and many controversial topics were discussed such as sexuality, race, sexual assault, and much more. I think it is very important that these barriers were broken, because full expression and truth cannot be achieved if a poet feels they must hold back because of social restrictions. So many more things are possibly to achieve in poetry now, purely because of societies willingness to accept and discuss these controversial issues. 

Figurative Language in Contemporary Music

While my iTunes was on shuffle yesterday, a song came on that got me thinking about how aspects of poetry are used in contemporary musical lyrics. The song "Boulevard of Broken Dreams"  by Green Day is a fairly obvious example of figurative language being used in a song. The first verse alone:

I walk a lonely roadThe only one that I have ever knownDon't know where it goesBut it's home to me and I walk aloneI walk this empty streetOn the Boulevard of Broken DreamsWhen the city sleepsAnd I'm the only one and I walk alone



and the chorus:

My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
'til then I walk alone


show use of metaphor and personification. While this song is kind of a cliche example, it does prove that these devices we trace back to the metaphysical are still being used to express ideas today, even in forms of art other than poetry. Here, Green Day compares the path in life the narrator takes to a road, which he describes as lonely. Maybe there is something about him that has always set him aside as different, or maybe he has made a choice to follow a less common path, but either way he has ended up living life isolated in some way. It may not be a physical isolation, he could just have different thoughts than those around him and feel that others can not relate to him. This idea would be complicated to express without this clear, visual metaphor. There are also the elements of personification such as "when the city sleeps," and "my shadow's the only one that walks beside me," which make simple ideas more aesthetically appealing. It is interesting to see how these tools that are common to poetry work in other art forms, and they seem to be extremely beneficial. 

Why is the "Woe" a part of marriage?

Lowell's poem, "To Speak of Woe That is in Marriage" surprised me. From the title alone, I was expecting something more traditional and conservative. The language used in the title does not at all mirror the language of the poem, and I wonder if there is some irony to this. While the title uses more formal, older English, the poem itself uses more common language and includes rhyme. This makes the poem feel more casual and lighter than one would expect after reading the title alone. Because my expectations were proven false, I was particularly surprised by the content of the poem. The different unscrupulous things that the narrator's husband does are spoken about in a funny way, seeming to be accepted by her even though they are clearly wrong and unfair. I had trouble understanding why this was so, and why the narrator allows her husband to get away with all of the terrible things he does. She even admits she finds the things he does to be "unjust," yet she does not speak of asking him to change his ways or leaving him.

I think this poem would not have been able to be written in an earlier time period, purely because of the content. The woman so openly degrading her husband, even if she does not take action, would not have been accepted. I do not like that her husband gets away with all he is doing; it comes off as a statement against the strength of women. Instead of leaving her husband, or challenging him, she just wonders why he is the way he is, showing a sense of dependency on him. I think this gives a bad message, and I wonder how it would be accepted in more contemporary times. The woman is being strong by acknowledging her husbands wrong doings, but not strong enough to do something about them. I wonder if Lowell intended for it to be like this, and what the meaning was behind it. The title seems like he thinks this is woe is in all marriages, as if it were standard. I don't like that, and wish the character stood up for herself because this "woe" should not be present in any marriage.

The Contemporary Romantic

I would love to see contemporary Romantic poetry. While I am sure contemporary poets have learned all about this school of thought, and include certain aspects and ideas from it into their work, I wonder how a completely romantic poem would sound today. I think it would be possible to do this, because the concepts of romantic poetry can be addressed in more simple ways then say, metaphysical poetry. For example, the whole concept of the sublime has become so common I didn't even realize this was an invented idea. It can easily be referred to in simple words as opposed to the complexity of metaphor or other literary devices. Because of this, contemporary readers would be able to easily understand and relate to Romantic poetry. Take this poem by John Keats as a point of reference:

When I have fears that I may cease to be

Before my pen has glean'd my teeming brain,

Before high piled books, in charact'ry,

Hold like rich garners the full-ripen'd grain;

When I behold, upon the night's starr'd face,

Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance,

And think that I may never live to trace

Their shadows, with the magic hand of chance;

And when I feel, fair creature of an hour!

That I shall never look upon thee more,

Never have relish in the faery power

Of unreflecting love;—then on the shore

Of the wide world I stand alone, and think,

Till Love and Fame to nothingness do sink.

It has clear elements of Romanticism within it. Keats discusses a pre-nastalgia he is having for experiences he would not have were he to die. He is upset by the idea of not being able to see the person he loves again, and the last few lines when discussing this fear are particularly Romantic. The idea is so painful to him that he must stand alone, "on the shore/Of the wide world," and, "think,/Till Love and Fame to nothingness do sink." This idea of being alone in the world, pondering his sorrow and misfortune, watching his love and fame sink in water, is as Romantic as it gets. But, I really think a contemporary audience would relate to and enjoy these ideas. This specific poem by Keats would not be written today; the language and style is too old. But, I think ideas such as these would be great in a contemporary poem written in more common language and style. I could also see these ideas go well with Confessionalism, which feels extremely personal. I think the two would balance each other well, and I think this would be a type of poetry I would really enjoy. 

A Poetry Changing Experience

I saw the poet Jamaal May read tonight in downtown Ann Arbor. Somehow, this one experience changed my perspective on the entire semester and poetry in general. Jamaal's work was great and he was an amazing performer, but it wasn't only that. There was something about sitting in a coffee shop with local people genuinely interested poetry, no affiliation to school whatsoever, and a great, entertaining performance that showed me I actually enjoy poetry. Not only did I enjoy it in a I had to go for class and it was fine way, I actually would want to go to more readings like this once the semester is over. Jamaal writes slam poetry which really sounds like sophisticated rap. He makes it seem so easy yet each word is so beautiful and perfectly chosen. I could completely relate to his feelings in everything he read. In particular, he read from his book which has a theme of phobias. He was able to create the feelings and experiences through his words without explicitly stating in the poem the specific fear he was discussing. Not only did I love everything he read, he really made me want to try writing some on my own. I realize I think it is something I could enjoy doing, so why not try it.

I realize now that while many of the older poems from the metaphysical, etc. I would not read for pleasure, there is so much poetry out there that I would. Looking back on the semester after hearing Jamaal speak, I can really appreciate everything we studied. While I may not have loved it all and it definitely was challenging, it is so interesting to look back over the evolution of poetry to see how far it has come today. I can also understand why it is so important to study it's progression. Even though slam, for example, sounds completely different than anything we have read in class, the same underlying techniques and literally devices are there (i.e. metaphor). It is clear that each style of poetry has been influenced by its predecessors, and new poets experiment with new ideas while learning from the past. 

A poem capable of creating an emotional response.

Last night I was at an event called Relay for Life, a twenty-four hour fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. During the Luminary Ceremony, the one sad memorial part of the event, a girl read this poem by E.E. Cummings:

i carry your heart with me
i carry it in my heart

i am never without it
anywhere i go you go, my dear;
and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling

i fear no fate
for you are my fate, my sweet
i want no world
for beautiful you are my world, my true

and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
here is the root of the root
and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;
which grows higher than soul can hope or mind can hide
and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart
i carry it in my heart

The poem had a lot of sentimental value to the reader, and as the audience it was easy to pick up on it and experience the same effect. I guess this poem can be interpreted two ways: as someone speaking to or about a lover, or someone who has lost someone or something very special to them saying it will always be a part of them wherever they go. Last night, it was interpreted the latter way. It was easy for this poem to evoke an immediate emotional response from me. Of course my surroundings were a part of the experience, but I also wondered what was different about this poem from many of the poems we have read in class. Typically, the work we look at has not made me feel such strong emotions. 


One important factor must be that the language and content is very easy to understand. I did not have to think into it, the meaning was simply there alongside each word. It has certain elements simplicity and confessionalism that we have started to see in more modern poetry. While in general I think this is what makes it so easy to relate quickly to, there are some things I don't care for. The phrases such as "my dear" and "my sweet" that conclude some of the lines in my opinion take away from them. While I assume Cummings purpose was to have the reader feel as if they were being spoken to in sweet, personal words, I feel it draws attention away from the content of the poem. For example, I think the line, "For you are my fate, my sweet," would have been much more powerful without the additional "my sweet." The extra words distract from the strong meaning in the main statement. Overall, I did enjoy this poem. I think the words are soothing and comforting when addressing a subject such as the death as done at the event last night. 

Tonight I saw a poetry reading at the Ann Arbor District Library and I absolutely loved it. First went a number of high school students who were SO impressive. I couldn’t believe how great their use of language was, how mature their content, and how powerful their individual voices were coming through in their writing. Most of their poems were extremely rhythmic and almost sounded a bit like rap music. I assume they were using aspects of beat poetry. It was exciting to hear and watch, and I was inspired by how capable and talented these young poets are. One boy, probably a few years younger than I am, really stuck out to me. He read a poem in which he was anticipating his mid life crisis. He spoke so maturely and with such confidence, I was envious of his courage.

Then two professional poets spoke: a local poet and a more renowned poet who came in for the occasion. The local poet was the head of the students’ group and it was clear he had a lot of influence over their styles. His poems too sounded like there was a rap beat behind them. Some of his poems I enjoyed more than others. I had trouble understanding his purpose behind a couple of them because they seemed more like a series of observations. That was common throughout all of the poems I heard tonight; they were in written language that was extremely simple and conversational. While we studied the evolution of poetry heading in this direction in class, I was surprised how extreme these poems were in their casual manner. The final poet was excellent. His work had a strong focus on race. I enjoyed the way his tone was serious but funny at times, allowing his powerful social messages to be easily taken in by his audience. I loved his poems and would definitely want to hear more in the future. 

Boring...

"Dream Song 14: Life, friends, is boring" by John Berryman is a clear example of his confessionalistic approach and his unique personal style. As representative of confessionalism, he openly admits his boredom in life. He acknowledges the many aspects of the world that people find incredible (the sky, the sea) and speaks of them as common as the readers and himself. He also admits to his audience that he "must have no inner resources," something his mother used to tell him is the case for those who confess they are bored. Additionally, Berryman brings Henry, his brainchild alter personality, into the poem to drive his message home further. He speaks of Henry's, "plights and gripes" as annoying and boring to him, yet consistent with Berrryman's use of Henry throughout his work, it is likely these are his own boring, "plights and gripes." The tone of the poem made me actually feel the boredom while reading it. Even though it is short, it seems to drag on and not serve any purpose other than to point out the boring parts of life. I don't really enjoy reading this poem, if anything it makes me feel a little bit down and negative towards the simple things that usually make me happy. But, I did find it...unique.

Berryman's language throughout the poem uses modernist technique. It is written in spoken language and is easy to read. The messages are clear and I didn't have to feel like I needed to dig or over-think the work. In this sense, I enjoyed the simplicity of the read. But, the combination of very common language and confessionalistic approach made the poem feel extremely -- boring. I assume this must have been his purpose?

Hughes purpose, and why a mother?

To me, the message in "Mother to Son" by Langston Hughes is relatively straightforward; a mother shares with her son that her life has been challenging in many ways, yet by moving forward she was able to make progress and face her obstacles even when her hope was nearly gone. Further, she encourages her son to do just the same, recognizing that his life will have many of the same challenges as her own. Hughes uses an extended metaphor throughout the entire poem comparing life to a staircase. Within the poem he uses smaller metaphors to represent the challenges in life, such as "boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor." I think this use of metaphor is important to show the extremity of the obstacles without actually stating them, keeping the work poetic yet portraying a social message as well.

The challenges the poem is referring to are those faced by African Americans during the Harlem Renaissance, leading up to the Civil Rights Movement. While it was clear why this message was important to Hughes, I am unsure why he chose to use a mother's perspective, as opposed to a father's. My curiosity led me to do some research on Hughes, and I read that he was never married and there were theories that he was homosexual. Although he never admitted this, his lack of a father-son relationship may have given him a neutral stand point in regards to children, making him just as comfortable writing from a mother's perspective as a fathers. This poem is uplifting and encouraging to any reader, but also is clear in its social message.

Is the fence really necessary?

When reading "Mending Wall" by Robert Frost two messages are apparent to me: the need for the wall to live as good neighbors and the fight nature has against the wall each year. Frost introduces the poem by explaining the latter, each year the wall has gaps and holes made by anything from hunters to the freezing of the ground beneath. It is clear that the natural surroundings of this wall are physically not accepting of it's presence. Nature rejects the wall by slowly and silently breaking it down to its original boulders. This aspect of the poem may serve to represent Frost's personal views  on tampering with nature by disapproving of disrupting the natural and creating things that shouldn't be there.

Frost describes the annual tradition of walking the length of the wall with his neighbor in order to mend the gaps. He does not see the point of the wall, especially where the properties are completely distinguished by type of tree and there is nothing to keep in or out. He questions his neighbor on the necessity of the wall. His neighbor's response is, "Good fences make good neighbors."This part of the poem completely varies form the theme of nature and introduces the ideas of privacy and trust. While neither man seems to have a conspicuous issue with the other, the neighbor hints that he is fond of the meaning and presence of the fence and would prefer to keep it as a physical barrier and symbol of their division. Instead of coming to agreements through good communication, the neighbor would rather avoid communication all together and leave out the opportunity for quarrel over property, privacy, etc. The narrator challenges this idea and his neighbor is reluctant, yet not argumentative. He coyly stands his ground continuing to mend the wall.

While this poem does talk about the power of nature, I think the real meaning comes from the neighbor and the importance of the wall to him. While the narrator of the poem is the one not supportive of the wall, it may be Frost's voice coming through the neighbor who believes in the concept of physical or symbolic boundaries between neighbors or even friends and loved ones. His point is accurate no doubt: issues can be avoided if there are no means for conflict to arise. But, is this the way to go about life -- creating barriers in order to leave no room for discussion? I don't think neighbors, friends, or anyone should not have to decide on terms of agreement or set boundaries unless they have things to keep psychically in or out (such as the cows Frost refers to). This poem left me uncertain whose side Frost is truly on: the narrator or the neighbor. 

My First Time

About two weeks ago I had my first poetry reading experience. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I definitely wasn't expecting the small gallery on State Street to be completely decorated to feel like a dark cave. At first I was kind of, confused, but I ended up really appreciating the effect that the atmosphere had on the poetry listening experience. The cozy, dark setting was intimate and made the audience feel as if each and every one of us was a part of our overall experience.

The first poet that spoke was a young woman who's poems seemed to follow some sort of story line. She read monotonously; her work was not about the presentation at all, just her written words. While I found her work to be good, I liked the second poet much more. Even when he discussed serious topics the tone of his poems were calming. This was probably a result of his recurring themes of inner peace and harmony. He was very descriptive of nature, something I enjoy a lot in poetry. His poems did not follow as much of a story line, but the messages were always clear.

Overall, I enjoyed this reading a lot. I plan to attend another reading this Saturday (same place, same time) that is a part of the same series.